How To Make Guatemalan Tamales
Unlike their Mexican counterparts, Guatemalan tamales are larger and are wrapped in banana leaves. This recipe uses pork and roasted peppers.
Ingredients
For Salsa Colorada:
- 1½ lb tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 guajillo chiles
- 2 fl oz pumpkin seeds
- 2 fl oz sesame seeds
- 1 cinnamon, small stick
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp achiote powder, (annatto)
- 1 fl oz lard
- 1 lb lean pork, cut into strips
For Masa:
- 3 cup masa harina
- 6 cup water, or broth
- ½ cup lard, or butter
- 2 tsp salt
For Fillings:
- green olives, sliced
- capers
- bell pepper, thin slices, roasted, peeled
- raisins
- banana leaves, about 2 pounds, and/or aluminum foil sheets
Instructions
-
Make the salsa first. Place tomatoes and garlic all on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes or until very roasted.
-
Toast the dried chiles on a heavy skillet for a few seconds until fragrant. Cut out stems, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
- In the same dry skillet, toast the seeds and cinnamon stick for a few seconds until nutty. Put into blender container.
- Pulse a few times to make a coarse powder.
- Now add the roasted tomatoes and garlic, soaked chiles (discard the soaking liquid) and half a cup of the chicken broth. Blend. Add more broth if necessary to make a thick, smooth salsa. It should be about the consistency of a milkshake.
-
Strain through a fine sieve and put into a pot with the meat strips and simmer about 15 minutes (or longer if desired) to cook the pork
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For the masa, combine the masa harina and water in a large pot. Use a whisk to remove lumps. Bring to boil, stirring, then simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
-
Add the lard, oil, and salt. Stir and cook over low heat another 10 minutes. It should be about the consistency of porridge. Set aside.
- Cut the banana leaves into squares about 12×8 inches. Bring a large, wide pot of water to boil and blanch the leaves one at a time for about 45 seconds each. Use tongs to help get them completely immersed in the water. Stack on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.
To Assemble:
-
Lay a banana leaf on a clean flat surface. Plop about ¾ cup masa into the center of it. Top that with about ¼ cup of the salsa and a piece of pork. Arrange any other fillings desired in the center of the masa and spoon a little more salsa over the top.
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Fold the side closest to you over the masa, and bring the side farthest from you towards yourself so that you end up with a long, skinny rectangle.
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Fold one long end under, then pick up the package like an ice cream cone and give it a little tap to get filling settled. Fold other long end over. Set aside. (If banana leaf cracks, wrap the package in a sheet of foil.)
- Line a very large pot with the imperfect banana leaves and add about an inch of water. Stack tamales inside, seams down.
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Cover tightly and steam for 1½ hours.
- Cool and serve.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 2g
- :
- Calcium: 91mg
- Calories: 191kcal
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Cholesterol: 22mg
- Fat: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Iron: 3mg
- Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Potassium: 398mg
- Protein: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 716mg
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Vitamin A: 658IU
- Vitamin C: 7mg
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